Search for Snowden diverts Bolivian president

A jet carrying Bolivia's President was forced to land in Vienna after it was refused permission to land in France and Portugal because it was feared US whistleblower Edward Snowden was on board. A search of the plane by Austrian authorities found no sign of Snowden.

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Bolivia has reacted angrily after a jet carrying its president was searched over suspicions that US fugitive leaker Edward Snowden was on board.

The President, Evo Morales, was returning home from a summit in Moscow when his plane was refused permission to enter both French and Portuguese air space.

The aircraft was forced to land in Vienna and was searched by Austrian authorities, but they found no sign of Snowden.

The incident caused protests in Bolivia where Government officials accused the United States of spreading lies.

DAVID CHOQUEHUANCA, BOLIVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (voiceover translation): We can't lie to the international community by taking ghost passengers so we want to express our annoyance, we want to express our discomfort, because they put the life of a president in danger. We feel this is discrimination. They want to intimidate us, we're sure. Moreover, it's an official plane, it's a presidential plane

EMMA ALBERICI: Bolivia is one of 21 countries to which the fugitive whistleblower applied for asylum.

Two ABC reporters have won major awards at the Young Walkleys in Sydney tonight.

Alexandra Fisher won best television or video journalism for a Lateline story on the sex trafficking industry in Mexico and rural journalist Caitlyn Gribbin picked up best radio journalism for her stories on floods in Bundaberg and the drug culture in the mining industry.

Congratulations to them both.

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